Mesophilous Quercus frainetto Dominated Forests from Western Balkans

Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto) has dominant or co-dominant role in many thermophilous deciduous forest communities in the Balkan Peninsula. However, recent field research in the north-western margin of its range has revealed that some stands have a pronounced mesophilous character, which was also supported by data from the literature. This paper aims to analyze this mesophilous community of Hungarian oak which is found in north-western Serbia, north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and eastern Croatia. Numerical analysis, which included classification and ordination of all 474 available relevés of Hungarian oak forests from the western and central Balkans, along with the 43 relevés of mesophilous forests of oak-hornbeam from B&H, have shown that 83 mesophilous Hungarian oak relevés are floristically and ecologically more similar to mesophilous forests of sessile oak-hornbeam (Erythronio-Carpinion) than to xero-thermophilous forests of Qeurcion confertae. The new association Carpino betuli-Quercetum frainetto ass. nova hoc loco was described, floristically and ecologically characterized and assigned to mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests of Erythronio-Carpinion. The study also discusses the syntaxonomical issues of Quercion confertae and its central association Quercetum frainetto-cerridis, considering the problem of the lack of good diagnostic species for both syntaxa, and introduces possible ways of dealing with these issues

Climate change adaptation in Serbia: the role of information networks

The importance of problems caused by global warming and increased GHG emissions have been recognised by the international community which responded to this challenge through a growing number of studies, agreements and policies dealing with climate change prevention, mitigation and adaptation. The shift to green economy is confirmed as the highest development aim, while establishing a balanced relationship between environmental policies, economic efficiency, technological upgrading and behavioural transition is one of main global assignments of our epoch. The importance of knowledge and innovations is also emphasised, while their availability, diffusion and exchange represent a key-reinforcement of green transition, especially in societies which are facing severe economic, social and environmental problems caused by sensitive local circumstances. The case of Serbia, which is the focus of this article, presents one of possible paths towards climate change adaptation, conditioned by more than two turbulent decades of the recent history of the country. Since democratic changes in 2000, environmental issues have become visible on institutional (governmental) level - through introduction of new environmental laws, research funding, preparation and implementation of specific documents or strategies, and on non-institutional (non-governmental) level - as different environmentally focused initiatives, usually supported by international, regional or local funds. However, on both levels information networks represent an inevitable structural ingredient, which enables a sustainable and locally adjusted approach to climate adaptation. Following global trends, information networks in Serbia are mainly used in the domain of public communication of climate changes, covering three major thematic areas of climate adaptability - human behaviour, ecological awareness and general efficiency. Considering all these specificities, the article provides a review of detected practices related to the use of information networks in climate change adaptation on both global and local level, stressing the possible benefits and limitations in the context of Serbia. The first part of the article introduces a global background of the problem of climate adaptation, summarising major environmental trends, research problems and policy responses, and emphasising the relation between climate change and urban(ised) environment. The second part is dedicated to the case of Serbia, focusing on three aspects - general condition of the environment, the legal framework and the perception/recognition of urban context and its environmental effects in recent development documents. The third part is focused on the relation between information networks, built environment/cities and climate changes, providing an overview of global trends and Serbian practice, while possible improvements of detected local weaknesses are given in the concluding part

Towards the Conceptual Changes in Architectural Education: Adjusting to Climate Change

This article gives an insight into the problem of climate change awareness in the process of architectural education. The course Urban Structure at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, is used as a case study that reveals a sensitive relationship between the university curriculum, teaching methodologies, students' experiences/obtained knowledge and the local background. The course included Problem Based Learning method in order to increase applicability of up-to-date knowledge on climate change. The results were tested before and after taking the course, via survey based on the semi-open type of questionnaire, distributed among 246 course attendees. The testing was conducted twice, during the school years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. The comparison between the knowledge acquire via theory (the test results provided at the beginning of the course) and the knowledge obtained by Problem Based Learning (the results obtained after the course ended) confirmed the increased level of student's awareness of environmental problems, as well as the extended scope of their ability to respond to occurring problems caused by climate change. Furthermore, the results obtained by a questionnaire are used for setting of new educational guidelines

Two new mesophilous oriental hornbeam communities from the northern Dinaric Alps (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The paper describes two new mesophilous communities of oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis) scrub from the northern Dinaric Alps in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). While oriental hornbeam is mainly considered to be a part of thermophilous forests and scrub, numerical analysis of 103 relevés of C. orientalis dominated scrub from B&H has shown that two new, rather mesophilous, communities thrive on calcareous bedrock of NW B&H. They are mainly coppices that present secondary successional stages of mesotermic forest vegetation in this region. Association  Epimedio alpini-Carpinetum orientalis ass. nova hoc loco is related to Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests of Erythronio-Carpinion betuli, while Asplenio scolopendrii-Carpinetum orientalis ass. nova hoc loco is linked to Balkan submediterranean ravine forests of Ostryo-Tilion. Although these two associations were recorded only in the NW B&H, their distribution is potentially larger, as their source communities are relatively common throughout the Dinaric Alps, so the information about their distribution, vertical structure, and syndynamic relations could be very useful in a national scale forest management and nature conservation

(R)Urban synergy reconsidered: the role of information networks in climate change adaptation and mitigation

The paper is focused on the relationship between urban and rural settlements, established via information networks and oriented towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. The first part of the paper provides a review of emerging ideas and innovations related to the (un)conventional use of information networks in reducing the consequences of climate change, while the second part examines the strategic role of networks in the exchange of data and knowledge. Two levels are especially emphasized - the domain of public communication of climate change, and the level of connectivity within (r)urban hybrid systems (i.e. their effectiveness, accessibility and low-carbon outcomes). In accordance with recent environmental and technological trends, as well as the possible spatiofunctional flexibility of (r)urban hybrid settlements, the paper indentifies and analyses three areas of networks applicability, targeting main challenges of the anticipated climate-friendly development - human behaviour, ecological awareness and general efficiency

The New Urban Acupuncture: Intermodal Nodes between Theory and Practice

The intermodal nodes, as important interchange areas of contemporary cities, represent one of the most vibrant and challenging elements of the current urban transformations. Frequently considered as initiators or generators of further urban and regional connectivity, accessibility and development, they are excellent experimental polygons for new planning strategies. Thus, the intermodal areas, originally perceived as marginal zones and used as the basic transportation support, upgrade their mono-functional background introducing the globally recognizable set of activities. The main idea of this process is to create an improved urban system, based upon latest technologies and proclaimed imperatives of urban efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present and analyze context, content and implications of intermodality and the transformations caused by this concept. Obviously, the structural, social and economic interchange have been achieved in numerous cases, but a total integration, real sustainability and an acceptable mode of applied technology still have to be confirmed in the future

Participative Placemaking in Serbia: The Use of the Limitless GIS Application in Increasing the Sustainability of Universal Urban Design

The 20th century brought about major social challenges related to civil and human rights, triggering changes in urban environments and gradually adjusting the spatial and functional performances of cities to the needs of all users. In this article, the concept of Universal Urban Design (i.e., “Design for All”) is regarded as a sustainable placemaking process which enables the higher accessibility and usability of cities for all people, regardless of their age or (dis)abilities. The pilot project “Creating Accessible Pedestrian Corridors by the Limitless GIS Application” conduced in Serbia from 2017 to 2019 by the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Belgrade and the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Limitless proposes an innovative approach to urban design. Based on information and communication technology (ICT) adaptation, it is focused on the alternative concept-design of buildings, provision of ICT-based infrastructure, socioeconomic integration of all users, and ultimately on overall urban sustainability. The main outcome of the project was the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) android application and an e-platform for adaptive placemaking. The project also provides a set of accessibility criteria based on Universal Urban Design, criteria that enable the mapping of locations based on the type of use, a set of recommendations for identified problems, as well as a brief analysis of the latest technological solutions for overcoming detected physical barriers. The Limitless GIS android application differs from the existing ones since it primarily identifies two target groups: (1) people with disabilities who could upload necessary data by established criteria; and (2) employees in the public sector (city authorities and municipalities) in charge of planning alternative routes and setting priorities and investment costs based on the identified problems. Pilot results of the project have revealed that in the current Serbian practice, there is still a lack of planned, consistent and continuous movement routes in urban areas. Terrain configuration represents a serious limitation for people with disabilities, while lifting platforms are recognized as a better solution than ramps (both for paraplegics and quadriplegics), due to their higher efficiency and minimized spatial requirements. Therefore, the android application and e-platform presented in this article contribute to the detection of actual problems at the local level as well as to the overall improvement of planning/design practice in Serbian citie

Improving urban resilience, increasing environmental awareness: new challenge of architectural and planning education

This paper considers recently introduced teaching methods at the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture, conceptualized as a response to the issues of climate change and environmental awareness. The courses Urban structure (conducted on the 2nd year of bachelor studies during year 2013/14) and Studio Project 4 (the final year of Bachelor studies 2012/13) are used as examples of this practice. The paper also attempts to review the results of different curricula, i.e. the working strategies applied during the teaching process, providing an insight into the possible directions of the architectural/planning education, formulated according to the latest priorities defined by various referential institutions (e.g. RTPI, EDUCATE – Framework for Curriculum Development Environmental Design in University Curricula and Architectural Training in Europe). The survey conducted in selected courses compares students’ acquired and experiential knowledge, evaluating their ability to understand a set of problems related to urban resilience and environmental awareness in the context of climate change. One of key findings is that in alternative teaching methods students are faced with the problem that they have to understand completely, which motivates them to disclose relevant knowledge, without pre-determined recipes, and generate creative solutions to identified problems

Introducing the students’ participation, upgrading the curriculum: The case of the course Sustainable City, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture

This paper describes the process applied in the course named Sustainable City (University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture, 1st year of master studies) which directly influences its design and further upgrading. By introducing the students’ participation, the curriculum supports their research work which is divided into two phases: reflexive and creative. The first, reflexive phase is focused on the problem analysis targeting the sustainable urban transformation processes. Through the examples selected by students a number of specific urban problems related to different aspects of sustainability are identified and described, as a practical contribution. The second, creative phase introduces the students’ proposals and recommendations for improving the urban environment, tested through a development of a small pilot project (representing the final outcome - exam). Through these two phases students verify their ability for preparing proposals for various research projects and grants, aiming at the desirable transformations of cities via affordable solutions. The design of the course curriculum also enables students to understand the genesis and an impact of sustainable processes on urban development, creating the basis for the knowledge application in both urban planning and design. Simultaneously, this participative approach influences the elaboration of an iterative process in which students provide inputs, i.e. the desirable research topics for curriculum improvement, later included into an updated and upgraded version of the course, implemented in the following school year. The results suggest that through an inclusive learning process, a culture of proactively envisioning a sustainable alternative future is emerging. Most importantly, student participants show their commitment as the agents of potential change to create alternative environmental values and sustainable behavior